My Favorite Ornament

This was my sister's and my favorite ornament growing up.  While at my parents house today making lefse, I snuck a picture of it. Can you tell the scene is nestled in a walnut shell? We were always careful to tuck it safely in a nook of the branches, directly behind a little light as if that light were a little star shining on the nativity.

A Birthday Party with an Ornament

What a weekend! Robb and I attended a Christmas party on Friday evening and had a wonderful time, but stayed out way past our bedtime, especially considering I had a birthday party at 10am the next morning. A birthday party for my daughter, at my house, which I still needed to tidy before it was invaded by a small army of 6 and 7 year old girls. OK, that's an exaggeration. Four nicely behaved children came.

Anyway, I awoke groggy and began to clean and prep. I planned on serving mac and cheese, figuring every kid likes that, and we always have a case stashed in the basement. Of course, when I went to fetch it, there was only one box left. Humph. Not quite enough for 6 little girls. And by that time I only had an hour before they showed up, so I quickly changed the plan. Turkey soup was in the freezer. Not the expected birthday fare, but it happens to be my daughter's favorite, so I lucked out. Big sigh of relief.

The girls arrived and we painted Christmas tree ornaments. That seems to be a theme around here, lately, isn't it? (It's day 20, after all!) Here is Madison painting hers:

And now my mother knows I let her paint in her new dress. Bad mommy! It was her birthday, what can I say? (Well, I could have said no, I suppose!)

Madison had been requesting a pinata for her party since last summer. She would randomly remind me, "Mom, don't forget. I want a pinata for my birthday party."  I'd always respond, "Yes, dear, but that is months away, and I'm likely to forget before then. Can you remind me in a few months?"  (I always claim, lovingly, of course, that my children have given me brain damage.) The birthday approached, however, and I remembered all by myself. Must be some kind of minor mommy miracle.

So we bought a pinata. And a $9.00 bag of candy. Ya think that's enough candy for 6 little girls? Ya sure, you betcha!

Now we had a problem. This is December and there is snow outside and it's cold. Brrr, freezing, as my husband says. And a pinata is safest broken outside. So how is one to destroy a pinata inside without destroying a house or worse, some precious girl's head? (I've seen way too many Funniest Home Videos of people getting a bat in the head.)

So we improvised. The girls jumped on the pinata. And they just tore into it with their bare hands. I highly recommend this method. The girls seemed to enjoy it, and no one got hurt. And they got to the candy much faster! Screaching and squealing and general mayhem abounded. Until Megan took over and decided everyone should be able to go home with candy they liked. She had them all dump out their bags, organize it into piles by type and then pick what they liked. It was a very organized process. She must take after her father!










Of course we had cake too. I had planned ahead on that. It didn't quite measure up to my old standards when I was making fantasticly detailed cakes, but once again, Madison was easily pleased. Cake crumbs showing through the white frosting are of no matter to her. And easily concealed with pink sugar sprinkles. Another sigh of relief.











 Pleased as punch birthday girl. Happy 6th sweet girl!













A happy time was had by all!

Grandpa, An Angel and Sawdust

This ornament is one of many handcrafted gifts my grandfather has shaped from wood over the years. A dollhouse, trucks and cars of various shapes and sizes, Christmas carolers, nativity puzzles, cupboards, quilt racks, custom picture frames, trivets; you name it, it was made in his shop. The delicateness of this item amazes me.
When I was young, and we visited my grandparents' home, sometimes grandpa would help us make our own projects in his roomy workshop. It was there that I made my mom a set of heart shaped napkin rings. That immaculate shop, with every tool's spot marked on the pegboard wall,  smelled of sawdust, varnish....and love.

This is day 18, but it's never too late to join the fun of sharing
what's on your tree!

Santa, Flowers and Butterfly Kisses

We don't have a lot of santas around here, but I let this one hang around because it reminds me of the maker and her daughter and of the time in my life when I knew them. Nana used to have a cute little gift shop in my hometown and taught painting classes. My sister and I took a class with her and enjoyed many afternoons browsing her shop.

A couple years later, when I got the job at the florist, I ended up working with Nana's daughter Jenny. This ornament came from her, though it was made my her mom. Not only did Jenny teach me to arrange fresh flowers, but she taught me to tolerate country music.

It was back in that workroom, surrounded by buckets of daisies and lilies and roses and a floor blanketed with discarded leaves and stems that I first heard the song Butterfly Kisses(lyrics).(or listen). And I cried. Because that girl was me. Just like the song, Mom and Dad tucked me in bed and prayed with me every night until the night before my wedding. And I remember butterfly kisses. I cried because I was a butterfly, trying my wings in the great big world, working my first job.

That song played many times in that flower scented workroom. Years passed, I traveled and came back, and the song played again. This time I had met someone special at Bible College and my wedding approached.  I cried again, knowing my sentimental dad would soon give me away and miss my butterfly kisses.

Cinnamon Dough Star

This delicate little star was a gift from a lovely friend Laila, who led a few of the first Beth Moore studies I did. She has since moved away from our area, so it is nice to have this little reminder of her and the things we learned together.

I found a recipe for cinnamon dough in my black folder of stashed away craft ideas. Does anyone else save their favorite pages out of their favorite magazines in tabbed three ring binders in the safety of page protectors? Please tell me I'm not totally crazy! When I need inspiration, or just the comfort of beauty, I pull out these binders crammed with creativity! This recipe is from Martha Stewart Living...

1 c cinamon
1/4 c applesauce
1/2 c white glue

After mixing, let stand one hour.
Roll out 1/4 inch thick. If the dough becomes too dry, spritz with water, if it's sticking, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 200 F. Bake, flipping once, until dry, about 2 hours.
Or air dry on wire rack lined with paper towels for 24 hours, turning every 6 hours to keep them flat.
When dry, decorate with beads or glitter.

Now hop on over to MamaBear's blog and check out everyone else's special ornaments they are sharing for the 25 Days of Ornaments!

Is it a Turtle Dove?

#14 of the 25 Days of Ornaments:My daughter is turning into a mini me. Some days I'm not sure I like that. If you have kids or someone you know has kids, or you've seen other people's kids at the mall, you know children are often a reflection of their parents (is that the understatement of the year?)...the good, the bad, the angry. The crafty. Well, that last one's not so bad as a couple of the others, at least. Unless the mother is somewhat of a perfectionist and wants everything home-made to be spectacular. Oh, but that's not me... ;)

So, Megan saw this pattern and absolutely insisted I help her make it. Kinda like this time. She had never sewn before, so I was pretty sure I'd end up doing most of it. I was right. But it turned out spectacular! Isn't that what counts? OK, not really! What really counts is that we worked on a project together and the result was something to be proud of and someday she will hang it on her tree and remember all her sewing projects. Just like I do.

A Sign of Joy

My friend Sarah made this for me a bunch of years back. I love that girl! We met at a homeschool conference when we were teens and she lived in a neighboring state, so we kept in touch.

We got a computer soon after meeting her. Those were the old days when the internet was something new and email was the latest communication fad. Our emails jetted back and forth....and saved us many a hand cramp from letter writing!

My twin and I took a road trip to help her cater her own graduation party. We made a dozen braided ham loaves, layered fruit cakes, veggie dip in cabbage flowers, and I picked roadside flowers for table centerpieces. And they were beautiful. We were a force to be reckoned with!

She was in my wedding and I was in hers. Soon after, she and her husband moved to our city and a few years later, we were enjoying play dates with our young children.

Being that my twin is named Sara, I call her my other Sarah sister. She is now living in China, her family has grown in numbers, and I miss her! But she is one of those friends that when we see each other again, we'll just pick up where we left off.

Thanks MamaBear for giving us all the opportunity to share our ornaments!

Pearly Soda Clay Ornament

I found this recipe for clay a while back and loved working with it. The consistency is velvety and soft and dries with a soft glimmer. I sanded the edges with a nail file, used a gold leaf pen around the edges and then sealed with polyurethane.

Pearly Soda Clay
1 c baking soda
1/2 c cornstarch
3/4 c water
food coloring (optional)

In a saucepan, stir together baking soda and cornstarch. Add the water, mixing well.

Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it resembles mashed potatoes, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir constantly the last few minutes as it thickens.

Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside. When the dough has cooled, turn it out onto a floured board. Knead the dough with your hands, adding more cornstarch as needed, to create a workable clay.

Don't forget to add a hole with a straw!

Allow creations to air dry overnight. (I like to turn them as they dry so they don't curl.)

Crocheted Snowflake

 Same song, 11th verse. Another homemade ornament! Check out more here on MamaBears blog .

One year, with my Martha Stewart Living magazine close at hand, I taught myself to crochet. I have a love for traditional, old-fashioned ornaments, and these remind me of the collection my grandmother tatted. Tatting is a soon to be lost art, so I should really teach myself that skill too. Someday.....

My crocheting skills have grown since these little projects, but I never follow a pattern for the bigger stuff. Those patterns look like a bunch of gibberish, and once you know a few stitches, it's not difficult to put a blanket together. Well, OK, not difficult for me!  ;)

Here is good ole Martha's tutorial for ya. If you find even that too difficult, no doubt with a bit of looking you can find a whole box of discarded china-made snowflakes at a garage sale for $1.00. That's what I did. That's right. After making a few of my own snowflakes and conquering the skill, I decided it's a much better investment of time to buy someone else's castoffs. Albeit less meaningful.

Clothespin Reindeer

A clothespin craft to add to the homemade ornament parade. Nothing fancy, but still pretty cute. I used a stain touch-up pen to stain the clothespins, a permanent marker for the nose and rafia for the bow. I think it would be cuter with little black bead eyes and a red berry nose(much classier than a pompom). I didn't have those, and that would be harder for kids to make without a gluey mess, so we did it this way. You can't see from the picture, but I did drill a little bitty hole for a small ribbon at the top of one of the "antlers." Yes, I am even handy with power tools...Vary it a bit with different ribbons instead of raffia etc. Great ornament or package topper.

Crackle Painted Craft Stick Sled Ornament

I'm not sure where I originally found the pattern for this sled, but I looked for a pattern online and couldn't find this particular one. There are other patterns, but this is still my favorite. One year I made about thirty of these. No doubt that was the year I got bursitis! I hosted a Make Your Own Christmas Present party and a bunch of ladies came over and we crafted these together. Fun memories. The most fun memory, though, is what we did after the party. We decided to be sneaky Christmas elves and prank our pastor and my husband, who worked for the church at the time, by setting up a Christmas tree in their office. We went to my friend's house, rescued an unused tree in her basement, dragged it to the office and hung my huge homemade ornament collection. It was lovely. Only Jon or Robb can tell you if they were pleased...

To make a sled you will need 6 popsicle sticks. Cut two of them (I just used a wire cutting pliers)as follows:

Assemble the top with hot glue and then attach the two runners to the cross pieces.

I painted most of my sleds all gold, then used crackle compound and painted the tops either red or green.

I hot glued little bits of greenery and berries on the body of the sled or personalized them with a gold pen for gifts.

Tin Can Lid Angel

One year, our family (or maybe it was my sister's and my idea) decided to decorate the whole tree with angels. Mostly homemade angels. We collected and saved as many tin can lids as we could and made these, among other things. Another year I made a bunch for myself, and developed bursitis in my thumb from the overuse of pliers and tin-snips! I even had to wear a wrist splint for a couple months! I must have been a bit compulsive in my crafting that year!

This is not a great child's project as you can imagine, but I like them. They're thrifty and shiny and reflect the light on the tree.The first one I saw had a tiny gold glass Christmas ball for a head, but I've never been able to find them, so I've resorted to jingle bells. The first angel held a miniature music book, but I'm too lazy to create one on the computer, so I also left that off too. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)

To make this angel, choose a can top or bottom of any size with no printing on it. I prefer lids that are all gold or silver and not white on one side. Cut the top red lines for threading the head on. Make sure the strip is thin enough to fit through whatever hole is on the bell or ball or bead. String your head and then bend a curly loop at the top for a ribbon to hang the ornament.

Cutting on the green lines will form the arms. Using a needle nose pliers, curl each arm toward the center of the angel. Cut "feathers" on the bottoms of the wings and bend the tips of the wings forward a bit. Using the pliers, grip the lid on the dotted lines and fold the portion between the green and dotted lines backward, forming the angel skirt.

The great thing about this project: if you mess one up, you didn't waste anything! Retrieve another lid from the recycling and try again!

I Make Stuff

 I wish I remembered more about this pillow. Was it from pioneer girls? A kit from mom? I know I made it when I was pretty young and it was one of many sewing projects over the years. It brings back memories of hours and hours spent in my parents downstairs laundry room sewing, cutting, and stitching. I loved the peace and quiet and the thrill of a completed project. I especially liked the praise. "You MADE that? YOURSELF?" Yes, I did. Thank you very much.

I did not spend time in front of the TV or in any kind of organized sport growing up. I don't know much about movies from the late 70's or 80's, nor do I recognize characters from popular TV shows. I'm not great at sports and I abhor sweating.  Not me. 'Cause I was busy making stuff.

I made clothes for me and clothes for my sisters and clothes for my barbie. I made stuffed bears and pillows and stitched wall hangings. I dried flowers, used petal porcelain, painted. I gardened and arranged cut flowers. I decorated cakes and quilted. I tried anything and everything.

Now, things are a bit different. I can tell you a bit more about movies and TV shows. I've even been known to work out once or twice. Hobbies have changed as craft fads come and go. My project pace has slowed. I have other things to do. Like cleaning. And laundry. But I still prefer to make stuff.

Now head on over the river and through the woods to MamaBear's blog and check out other fun ornaments.

The Year was 1994

I  returned home from Moscow just in time for Christmas and then 1994 began. It was our senior year, we had completed most of our high school requirements (thus the reason I was able to "skip" school and travel for over three months,) and we were trying to decide what direction to go next. College? Job? It would have been nice if Mom and Dad just would have told us what to do. But we needed to learn to make our own decisions. We prayed. I got a job at a florist in town. It was a perfect fit for me while I decided what to do with my life.

My parents house was remodeled that year. Finally the orange shag carpet was gone. The project was completed the week before our high school graduation party. We set out two baskets for graduation cards so that anyone who brought us a gift to share would feel silly....   :)

I worked that year but in the fall, another trip presented itself, and Sara and I spent two months with a hundred or so girls in Dallas, Texas. It was a conference/girls school/training center all wrapped in one. And our best friend Sarah Y. from Iowa, and a few of my friends from the Russia trip were there too. We had a fabulous time, and crammed as much silliness into what little free time we were given. That trip was helpful in my decision on whether to pursue opportunities our home education program offered or whether to go the more traditional, college education route.

We came home, my job took me back and that is how I got this ornament from a co-worker for Christmas. I continued to work part time, taking another short hiatus for a mission trip to Taiwan (again with Sarah Y.) the spring of '95.

That next fall, I decided to live at home while attending a small Christian college nearby, but I'll never regret taking my time in that decision and making the most of the travel opportunities I was given.

Little Russian Lady

Oh yes, the little Russian lady brings back a host of memories. Three and a half months worth. At seventeen I got on a plane headed to Moscow. I had a moment of panic. "What in the world am I doing? I won't see my family for a looooong time."  This trip was the first time my twin sis and I had been apart for more than one night. We experienced everything together. And now  I felt alone. I tried to shrug the feeling, thinking with nervous excitement about the adventure ahead.

I spent three and a half months with over 100 other homeschooled students and a few families on a small ship docked on the Moscow river. We had various assignments. Listen to lectures. Help with weekly meetings. Provide music. Create skits and visit orphanages and public schools.  Don't kiss any boys. Seriously, there was a rule against that, among other things! Make up funny songs laden with inside jokes. Minister to others. Traipse around Moscow. Visit families. Drink tea. Talk about Jesus. Listen to more lectures. All this without my sister.

We had other fun too. Our group managed to fit in a weekend cruise and saw a stretch of the Volga river. We saw pastures dotted with bright multicolored houses. We sang hymns in full harmony on the stern deck on a chilly evening. I still remember the gentle rocking of the ship, and the constant change of horizon. I remember historic sites, and shopping for a fur hat for my dad. I bought fresh roses at the market and hand painted metroyshka (nesting) dolls for my sisters and I bought the little Russian lady. It seemed a shame to be having so much fun without Sara.

When I came home, Sara and I lived life together again, but that trip marked the beginning of many things experienced separately. That's a difficult change for twins. At least it was for us. We had to redefine who we were apart from the other. Our lives took shape. Neither better or worse, not wrong or right, just different. She was in the city, me in the country. She had a job. I had kids and a husband. Our schedules were different. It was hard finding time together. Our adventures were different.

I don't mean to over-dramatize this, but I had a tiny bit of sadness that for ten years, my sister didn't share my journey in motherhood. I feel bad even saying it. It's not like she could do anything about it. But, I think growing up, we both assumed we would go through the same stages of life together, that our kids would grow up together like we did. And that didn't happen. Until now.

I cried with joy when my sister got engaged a few years ago. I think I cried when she announced her pregnancy.  It's just that I am so excited to begin sharing the adventure of motherhood with her. We've already taken stock of baby clothes, shopped for needed items, and picked out paint colors for the nursery together. I can't wait for the play dates and summer beach days. Yes, this is going to be FUN! This is an adventure we'll once again experience, together.

Hey. I just remembered: I have two little Russian ladies. Like twins wearing the same dress, but in different colors. Sara and Kristina.  I think I'll hang them on the tree, side by side.

My Favorite Things

Another Ornament. Another memory.

Today's ornament was a wedding graduation present. It is Spode and was given to me by my parents' friends who were in my parent's Bible study group when I was a baby; I believe it was this Bible study and small group where my parents learned afresh God's desire for a relationship with them.

What I remember most about this family is staying at their house the night before my sister and I were flower girls in a wedding. We were eight. I remember their big house, sleeping in the playroom, rollers in my hair.

I remember pictures in my grandma's terraced backyard, all abloom with flowers. I remember tossing rice from satin roses.

For the wedding we wore white dresses with blue sashes. Satin sashes. Sara and I were two girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes.

Christmas and flowers and little girls. And relationships. With my Lord and His people. These are a few of my favorite things.

A Silent Bell Rings

It's the third day of Christmas Ornaments....

My grandfather fashioned this bell from a chunk of wood he brought home from the Holy Land many years ago.

This bit of a tree represents an ancient tree that held my Savior, first in a manger, then on a cross.  This sliver of wood from the place Christ was born rings silently on my Christmas tree reminding me that the Lord's birth is only one act in a world-wide production he orchestrates, even now. Today.

His work on the cross is done. His work in our hearts continues.

Dreams and Hope Chests and a Little Bear

It's day two of the 25 days of Christmas Ornaments!

Molly gave me this ornament when I was 11 years old. We met at school in fourth grade and became fast friends. The next year her family began homeschooling. My sister and I were so enthralled with the idea of being able to stay at home and learn, that we asked if we could homeschool too! Mom and Dad considered it prayerfully and soon, Molly and my sister and I attended the same homeschool support group. Of course, we didn't really need the support group. We had each other.

Those were letter-writing days. We filled pages. Sometimes dad let us use his metro phone line that was reserved for medical calls. We would talk for an hour at least!  We had sleepovers, and Molly introduced us to Anne of Green Gables. We talked of finding young men as dashing as Gilbert Blythe. We dreamed of what our grown-up lives would be like.

Now we are grown up. We have husbands and children and homes to hold our hope chest treasures. Some things are as we dreamed them and some things are not. Life is like that. But if we could go back and dream again, I'm pretty sure we'd all dream our lives just as they are.

25 Days of Ornaments

I am excited to begin this new carnival and document the many special memories and people represented by the ornaments that hang on my tree each year. Many of my collection were gifts in my stocking as a child. Some I claimed when I moved out of my parents house. Numerous are handmade, each with a memory.

The above, you can correctly assume, is a picture ornament of my twin sister and I. I love the idea of creatively framing a picture of my own children each year for the tree. This year I witnessed the joyous exclamations of my children hanging ornaments of themselves. "Look Megan! It's you and me! We were so little and cute!" "This one is from 2001. I was only two years old then!"

Yes, decorating the tree is a hectic endeavor with children. They step on the lights as I try to determine which strings still work. They bicker over who hangs what and scold each other on proper hanging methods.  I attempt to leave the tree as they have trimmed it, but my tendency is to forever be rearranging as needed.

I could easily envy the perfect tree with each ornament hung just so, gold beads glimmering with twinkling light. Instead I cherish my eclectic country ornament collection. For me, it is a glorious flurry of memories, a collage containing glimpses of family history, friends and experiences. When the chore is complete, the bins returned to the basement, each stray metal ornament hanger retrieved from the carpet, and artificial pine needles vacuumed, I turn off the lights, plug the tree in, grab a cup of hot cocoa and savor the memories, basking in Christmas spirit.

Click on the button on the right sidebar to learn more about how this carnival got started, or to join in the fun click here!